


But can you blame me?

by Zyzzyva



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Autistic Gaara, Autistic Shino, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Photophobic Shino, everyone's pretty sassy, just by the way
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-15 05:11:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10550628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zyzzyva/pseuds/Zyzzyva
Summary: [modern au]Shino's the new student at Konoha Academy, and he's worried he won't make any friends. His roommate, Inuzuka Kiba, is the worst person he could be paired with, but what can he do about it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first fanfic for Naruto, and I'm excited. I haven't finished the series yet (I'm only on the 30th book lmao), but I couldn't help myself. 
> 
> IMPORTANT:  
> I headcanon Shino to be autistic. He's my favorite character in the series, and he deserves more love. I'm sorry if this is offensive in any way, and know that it's not meant to be. I'm not autistic myself, so if there are any blatant (or just utterly wrong) errors, please let me know. Thank you so much, and enjoy!

Aburame Shino stared up at his new school, a pensive look on his face. He wasn't nervous, exactly. Trying to pinpoint his emotions, he couldn't think of anything to explain the feeling.   
He heard a car door close behind him and turned to see his father placing his suitcase on the sidewalk next to him. Shibi gave a small smile, and Shino tried to return it, only managing an upturn in his lip. 

"It's almost time for me to go. Will you be alright?" Shibi asked. To anyone else, his voice may have seemed monotone, but to Shino it was the same as if he'd said it with tears in his eyes. 

Shino nodded. In truth, he didn't know if he'd be alright. What if his roommate was too loud? What if he wanted to be friends with Shino? What if he didn't understand that Shino needed peace, and quiet, and SPACE? What if he was rude, or messy? Then Shino was stuck, and there was nothing he hated more. 

Shibi clearly saw the distress on his son's face, and leaned down to look him in the eye through his dark glasses. "Shino. Listen to me, okay? You'll be fine.”

Shino gave one sharp nod, and Shibi straightened. "Good. Go on, now. You have to find your room." He gave one more smile before climbing into the small car their family owned and driving off. 

Shino watched him go before sighing and walking into the building. He saw a desk with a bright light over it (he had to blink a couple times before he could look at it straight), a sign clearly reading 'INFORMATION'. He headed towards it. A bored looking woman straightened and looked him up and down before she droned, "Can I help you?”

He bit his lip before responding. "Yes. I'm Shino Aburame. I just transferred here. Could you help me find my room?" He'd rehearsed the sentence in his head on the way to the school, but it still sounded wrong. Curt. Rude, even. 

He was relieved when she didn't look at him strangely. "Oh, yeah. They mentioned something about a new student. Your room's up that way," she pointed, "and to the right. Do you want me to guide you?”

He nodded and she grabbed the keys before getting up and strolling down the hall, Shino following. 

The door made a satisfying click when she unlocked it and handed him the keys. He shuddered when her fingers brushed his, but she either didn't notice or didn't care. As she stalked off, he poked his head in the door. No one there. Good. 

One side of the room was a complete mess. The bed was unmade, clothes strewn on it, and on the chair. Not even the desk was spared. 

The other was immaculate. Shino nodded to himself and headed over, putting his clothes in the wardrobe and his notebooks on the desk. After putting his suitcase away, he went back to the other side of the room to look at the photos that were pinned to the wall. 

He quickly discerned who looked to be his roommate. The boy had unruly mouse brown hair and brown eyes. Most of the photos also included dogs. One in particular, a white and brown mutt, filled at least three quarters of the photos. The photos ranged from older snapshots when his roommate was younger and the dog was a puppy to more recently, most of them selfies. 

Shino grimaced. Not because of the dog, or because his roommate seemed so attached to it, but because his roommate seemed so CONFIDENT. Most of the pictures included various friends, many of them recurring throughout. He seemed the opposite of Shino, the recluse. Sure, people approached him, but they usually backed off after they saw how weird he was. 

||||

"Hey, Kiba!" He turned as he heard his name to see Hinata running after him. He stopped to let her catch up, grinning. “Hey."

"Hey," she panted, leaning over to catch her breath. 

"What's up?" He asked, curious as to why she was running. 

"Isn't your roommate coming today?" She asked shyly. 

He slapped her arm, making her jump. "You're right! In fact," he continued, glancing at his phone, "he should be here now! Wanna go see?" He set off before she could answer, and she quickly jogged after him. 

When they reached his door, he quickly unlocked it and went in. He saw someone on the bed look up, and grinned. “Hi!"

The other guy was dressed weirdly. He had bushy black hair, dark glasses covering his eyes, and a shapeless coat with the hood up, casting shadows on his pale face. He nodded. 

“Hello."

"What's your name?" Kiba asked, sitting on his bed facing his new roommate. Hinata sat beside him. 

"Shino Aburame," he responded, looking uncomfortable. 

"Inuzuka Kiba. Nice to meet you!" He reached out to shake his hand, but Shino ignored it. He cleared his throat awkwardly before gesturing next to him. "This is Hyuuga Hinata. She's a good friend of mine.”

They sat in awkward silence for a second before Hinata spoke up. "D-do you want us to show you around campus?”

Shino shrugged. "Alright." He stood, and Kiba followed them out. He kept a safe distance between them. This Shino guy gave him a weird vibe. He couldn't believe he was going to have to live with him. 

Shino immediately stopped as he reached the door, and Kiba almost ran into him. "Hey, what the hell?”

"Letting my eyes adjust," he said bluntly. After a second, he continued moving, following Hinata. Kiba groaned before running after the two. 

||||

After a quick tour, Kiba and Hinata hurried off to their next class, Shino going back to his and Kiba's room. As soon as he entered he collapsed on his bed, sighing. His roommate was everything Shino had hoped he wouldn't be. Putting his head in his hands, he groaned and laid down on his side. He fell asleep that way, not even taking off his dark glasses. 

||||

Kiba groaned. "He seemed like such a presumptuous nerd! How the hell am I gonna live with this guy?”

Hinata smiled reassuringly at him. "It'll be okay. I-I'm sure you'll find some middle ground." 

He sighed. "Are you really, though? And what's with those weird glasses?”

"I don't know." Hinata shrugged. 

"Who knows? If anything's he weird. But," he said, a cruel grin spreading across his face, "at least I won't need to worry about any parties."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm very happy to say there's a new chapter! I'm sorry I couldn't post it earlier.
> 
> I apologize greatly, once again, if anything's offensive, please, PLEASE tell me if it is!

That night when Kiba returned to his dorm, he found Shino at his desk, working on some sort of project. Looking over his shoulder, he could see Shino scribbling in a notebook with a cramped, precise script. Shino jumped when he noticed Kiba, turning in his seat. 

"Sorry to scare you," he said apologetically. Shino nodded hesitantly, shoving his hands in his pockets. Kiba noticed that he hadn't seen his hands before, and found himself wondering why he wanted to see them again. 

"I have no idea how you can wear a coat in here, it's been super hot lately," Kiba continued, trying to initiate some sort of conversation. Anything but the awkward silence they'd been having. 

"I'm used to it, I guess." Shino seemed to be looking down, but it was hard to tell since all Kiba could see were the reflections on his dark glasses.   
"Is it hot where you're from?" Kiba asked. He earned a shrug in response. Starting to get annoyed, he snapped, "Do you hate me or something?”

Shino gaped before recomposing himself. "No, why?”

Strangely excited from eliciting a reaction from the Aburame, Kiba continued. "Well, let's see," he offered. "You've barely talked to me at all, you don't SEEM to make eye contact... In fact, you've talked to my friend more than your own roommate.”

Shino looked hurt. "That's not your fault..." He said, almost too quietly for Kiba to hear. 

He sighed, flopping down on Shino's bed and putting his head in his hands. "So that's just what you're like, then? You're just that antisocial?”

Shino nodded miserably, and Kiba grinned. "That's okay, then! I was just worried you didn't like me.”

Shino nodded once. "Anything else you're intent on knowing?”

"Oh, we're getting snarky now, are we? Fine then. Why do you wear dark glasses indoors?" Kiba asked, grinning. 

"My eyes are sensitive to light. It's called photophobia," Shino explained. "It makes it so light hurts my eyes, and it's somewhat hard to see.”

Kiba grimaced. "That must suck.”

Shino shrugged. "I'm used to it.”

Kiba glanced at his phone for the time. "Well, it's getting to that time. Naruto and Sasuke are having a party tonight, if you wanna come?”

Shino weighed his options. On the one hand, he was exhausted, and had just been planning on going to bed. On the other, it might be a good idea to meet some of Kiba's friends and see if he could make some of his own. It was unlikely, but he might as well try. "Well, alright.”

Kiba grinned. "Great! You can always get Hinata to walk you home early if you want.”

Shino nodded, stashing this information for later. 

"Do you need to get anything first? There'll be food there, so you don't need to worry about that." Kiba saw Shino shake his head. "'Kay. Let's go, then." 

||||

Shino quickly saw why no one had caught on to Naruto and Sasuke's party. Their dorm was one of the farthest from the center of the campus. Luckily, it didn't look like a very loud party. He'd felt anxious since he'd first agreed. He was clenching his fists in his pockets to stop them from shaking, though no one but he would know. He cleared his throat. 

"Will there be... alcohol at this party?" He asked slowly. 

Kiba chuckled. "Inevitably. Avoid Lee and Temari. You would have to worry about Naruto, but Sasuke will keep him under wraps.”

Shino nodded, a little confused. He didn't bother telling Kiba that it wouldn't do him any good to know this, he didn't know any of these people.

Kiba pounded on the door when they reached it. "Hey, Nardo!”

It opened, and a blond head poked out. The boy was relatively short, and had a blinding grin. Shino could already tell he wouldn't like him. He seemed nice enough, but Shino could tell he'd be energetic. 

"Hi Kiba!" He pretty much shouted, grinning like mad. Then he noticed Shino. "Oh, hi! I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Are you new?”

"Yes. Aburame Shino." He nodded. 

"Awesome! Well, come on! I'll introduce you to everyone!" 

||||

The next half hour was a blur of names he'd forget and faces he wouldn't recognize. By the time Naruto let him go, it was the most he could do to find a quiet corner and sink to the floor, his breathing heavy. 

He recognized a cup of water being held in front of his face. It was held to minimize contact, so he felt comfortable enough to take it. Someone slid down next to him, leaving a comfortable space between them. 

"Naruto's always like that. He's much too caught up in being a blazing ball of sunshine than he is with people being comfortable. How are you?" Looking to the left, Shino saw who was talking to him. He was dressed in all black, with a veil covering everything but his face. 

Shino shrugged. He didn't trust himself to speak. 

"Water always helps. I'm Kankuro, by the way." They sat in silence for a little bit, watching Naruto and black haired boy he assumed to be Sasuke arguing. 

When Shino had calmed down a little, he looked at Kankuro again. "How did you know?"  
Kankuro grinned. "My baby brother, Gaara." He pointed to a red-haired boy sitting on a table a little ways away, watching the party. He looked at Shino. "You wanna meet him?”

Shino sighed before standing. “Okay."

"Awesome!" Kankuro ran over to where he was sitting. "Hey!" He fluffed the other's head, Gaara glaring at him the whole time. "Heh. So, where'd Temari run off to?”

Gaara pointed to where Shino could vaguely see a blond girl talking to a couple others. Kankuro chuckled. 

"Well... in any case, Gaara, this is Shino. Shino, Gaara." Gaara nodded at him. Shino nodded back. “Hello."

"Do you want to get to meet anyone else?" Kankuro asked. "By the way, who came here with you?”

"Kiba," Shino responded. "He's my roommate. And... I guess.”

Kankuro nodded. "Alright. You should meet Neji." He pointed to a boy sitting on a table a little ways away. He was talking to a girl with shoulder-length bubblegum pink hair and a red dress. Neji himself had waist-length black hair roped into a loose ponytail and a bandage stretched across his forehead. He looked bored, while the girl was talking animatedly. Kankuro nodded to Shino to follow him. 

"Hey Neji, hey Sakura. What's up?" Kankuro asked casually, leaning on the table. 

"Not much," Sakura responded, shrugging. "We're just watching Lee get drunk off his ass. TenTen's helping." She motioned to where two teens were talking loudly. The boy had a black bowl-cut, while the girl was sporting two buns on the top of her head. They were starting to fall out, but she didn't seem to notice. 

"They're gonna regret that in the morning," Kankuro agreed, chuckling. 

Neji groaned. "I'm going to have to help Lee home, then I'll have to deal with the both of them in the morning.”

"Godspeed, my friend," Sakura joked. "Lee's a very energetic drunk," she offered to Shino, who must have looked a bit lost.

"It's not as if he isn't usually." Neji sighed. He put his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes as if he was tired. Shino noticed he had the same strange light eyes as Hinata, and wondered if the two were related. 

He yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. Sakura noticed and glanced at him. "You tired?" He nodded, and she chuckled. "Me too. I'd go home, but..." She gestured to Naruto and Sasuke. "I'm kinda responsible for these guys.”

"You're not OBLIGATED to take care of them," Neji grumbled. "At least you could leave if you wanted, and don't have to take care of a very hungover roommate in the morning.”

"Oh yes I do!" She whined. "Ahem, Ino!" She gestured vaguely to the group of girls that Kankuro had pointed out his sister was a part of.

"Okay, okay," Kankuro groaned. "Let's not start this." He turned to Shino. "You wanna go home?" Shino nodded. "'Kay. I'll get Gaara to take you then.”

While Shino was in the middle of sputtering 'no, you really don't need to,' Kankuro went back to where Gaara was sitting. "Can you take Shino back to his dorm?" Gaara nodded, muttering a couple words in Kakuro's ear first.

Kankuro nodded and turned back to Shino. "Where's your dorm?”

Shino responded and Gaara nodded, hopping off the table and motioning to Shino to follow him. 

The walk back was accompanied by a comfortable silence between the two. When they reached Shino's door, Gaara left with a 'bye' and a nod. Shino nodded back before closing the door and quickly falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha I love big brother Kank. Thanks for reading!


End file.
